Automaker from Germany, Volkswagen, is set to help Qatar improve its public transportation system by supplying it with autonomous and electric vehicles. (Image via DW)

Volkswagen to release autonomous public transportation in Qatar

On Saturday, a German automobile company, Volkswagen Group and Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) had signed a deal for an autonomous public transportation project. The project is expected to finish by 2022. The project is called, “Project Qatar Mobility”.

The deal between Volkswagen and QIA aims to revamp the public transport system, including the legal framework, infrastructure, and ride-hailing service needed for the autonomous system in its capital city, Doha.

CEO of QIA, Mansoor Al Mahmoud, pointed out that Doha needs to reform its public transport system for energy efficiency and congestion-free road. Therefore, AI-powered and emission-free transportation is the solution.

Meanwhile, for the Chairman of Volkswagen, Herbert Diess, the project aligns with their vision, “Together 2025+”.

Written in the agreement, Volkswagen will roll out four brands under its wing: its commercial vehicles, Scania, shared-ride service MOIA, and Audi subsidiary Autonomous Intelligent Driving (AID).

For its commercial vehicles, Volkswagen is going to deploy 35 units of ID Buzz vans that will take up to four passengers on semi-fixed routes in the Westbay Area. Also, the German automaker will deploy another 10 Scania units to take up a larger number of passengers.

These autonomous and electric vehicles will be integrated with the existing public transports.

Closed testing will be held in 2020, and both Volkswagen and QIA wanted to accelerate the project, so that these electric and autonomous vehicles may tread the road before 2022. But, the live trial will be held as early as 2021, and the project will be wholly finished at the end of 2022.

Source: https://tcrn.ch/36Bto6r